Fayçal Ben Ghorbel

Fayçal Ben Ghorbel comes from a family with long history in the tradition of handicrafts in Tunis. Growing up in Djerba, he learned the namli process in the workshops of Tunisian Jews who inherited their trade directly from the Moshi Ennamni—the namesake of the technique. In addition to namli, Fayçal is an expert in the craft of Jewish-style jewelry and accessories.

Quote: “Making a beautiful piece with the namli engraving technique can keep me at my workbench for up to four hours in a row. I would never do it if I wasn’t in love with this technique, which conveys both tradition and beauty. This technique is in the process of disappearing, so those of us who know it have to continue making beautiful to get young craftworkers interested.”